Patent EU-A-0 003 192 already discloses a clamp which is easy to dismount and re-use, intended particularly, but not exclusively, for securing a sleeve or flexible hose on a rigid pipe.
Such a clamp is constituted by a metal band wound on itself, whose ends are suitably bent to form complementary tightening and joining means. The tightening means are constituted by lugs forming radial stops on which may abut the jaws of a tool of the pliers type. The joining means are themselves constituted by two complementary elements generally in the form of hooks. When the clamp is in non-tightened state, the two complementary joining means are separate from each other but cooperate with each other after the clamp has been tightened and thus maintain the clamp in its tightened position.
Such a clamp gives entire satisfaction in a large number of applications, but it has appeared necessary to improve the design thereof in order to take into account certain requirements both from the standpoint of the consumers and of manufacture.
In fact, this known clamp may be reproached with requiring special pliers for assembling it, whereas the consumers would like a clamp which can be positioned with the aid of ordinary flat pliers.
Furthermore, the joining means, necessarily projecting on the outer periphery of the clamp, risk, if they are mounted on mobile members, for example on rotating shafts, either being unhooked or gripping on objects. This is particularly the case when the clamps in question are used for securing bellows for protecting the universal joints of the transmission shafts of a vehicle. Consequently, it is desired that the joining means of the clamp be protected against any dangerous approach of objects.
Finally, concerning manufacture, it should be noted that the known clamp necessitates the combination of several techniques (rolling, folding, pressing), which requires somewhat complicated and expensive machines and tools. In addition, each clamp has specific dimensions and it is not possible, as has already been proposed for other types of clamps, particularly by Patent EU-A-0 153 452, to make the different parts of the clamp separately, which would rationalize manufacture and reduce the costs thereof.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the difficulties which have just been set forth whilst conserving the advantages of the prior known clamp described in Patent EU-A-0 003 192.